Chapter 2: Unexpected Company

It has been a few weeks since I had started training. It is nearing the end of the training cycle and I am anticipating the next phase of advanced training. Since I am only here for the combat training I am not concerned with the technical and scientific aspects of the others' training.

It is a little past midnight and I am hovering above the training base. I was just admiring the view when I saw the flash of afterburners. I had been so melancholy lately that I had forgotten to cloak and had been spotted on radar. I can imagine what I must look like just hovering 2000 feet above the ground and not moving as an aircraft would.

I deliberately left my cloak down. This is not the first time I had forgotten my cloak and had been chased down. I knew that they knew of my existence. Although, I don't believe they know what or who I am they are persistent. Usually I just avoided them, this time I was planning to make a statement.

I headed in the direction the fighters were coming from. I flew past the aircraft doing just under mach 1. My wake rocked the aircraft but otherwise didn't bother them much. I knew that wasn't much of a statement but I wanted them to know I wasn't just a weather balloon.

"Holy shit! What was that?" said one of the pilots excitedly.

"I don't know but it was fast." returned the other.

I kept going hoping they would follow me and not figure out that I was from the marine training base below where I was hovering. Sure enough there they were coming up on my six.

By the time they had caught up with me I was over Eastern California. It wouldn't be long before they started to get low on fuel and would have to return to base or call for a refueling. I had planned on making a statement so I guess refueling wouldn't be necessary as there wouldn't be anything left to refuel.

I set my sights on the plane on my left; I banked left and up allowing the fighter squadron to pass me one more time. I then reversed direction and pursued my quarry which was now on my right.

I rose above the aircraft about 500 ft and swooped down slamming into the cockpit canopy. I ripped it from the plane, grabbed the pilot by his harness and ripped him from the cockpit. I didn't take the time to look at him; as soon as I had pulled him from the cockpit I tossed him over my shoulder. I hope he had sense enough to deploy his chute but he was not my concern.

I toyed with the other pilot for a few minutes before I again pulled him from his plane, releasing him as I had done the first. It was not my intention to kill the pilots; but I wanted them to know that I could have at any time.

After I had taken out the entire flight I moved in on the leader. He had seen everything and I could hear the report he was making into his flight recorder.

"Control this is flight leader. Whatever it was we were checking out was not the weather balloon we thought it was hovering above the Marine Training base. As we approached it took off in the opposite direction from which we had approached.

"It just took out my entire squadron and is now in pursuit of me. I am attempting to evade but it is more maneuverable and faster than I am.

"Oh My God! That thing has just attached itself to my aircraft. Its added wind resistance has made it difficult to control the plane. I can see it crawling along the fuselage toward the cockpit canopy." The pilot reported excitedly into his flight recorder as well as live to his airbase.

I crawled slowly purposely giving him time to talk. I was trying to make a statement after all. Instead of ripping the canopy off as I had done the others I just held on and looked at the pilot. I didn't want him to report that I was human so I fogged his vision every time he looked at me.

"Control, the thing has crawled up to the canopy and is just looking at me. I have had to slow to almost stall speed just to maintain control of the aircraft with the increased turbulence. I don't understand why I have not been treated the same has it had done to the others."

"I am not hostile toward you, merely defensive." I told the pilot.

"What are you? How is it that I heard you in my mind?" the pilot responded.

"What I am is not your concern. As long as I am not harming anyone on this planet what right do you have to display such hostilities toward me? Why is it that you have to destroy that which you fear or cannot control? This will be your last and only warning." With that said I flipped over to the nose of his craft and applied reverse pressure and brought his plane to a complete stop in mid air. I told him to eject before I destroyed his aircraft. I used my telekinesis to rip the flight record out of the plane before dropping the scrap metal.

I then turned and followed the pilot down; as I came even with him I gave him the flight recorder. I turned away from him and shot into the upper atmosphere at about mach 4. During one of my training sessions the Marine trainers, the A.I. and I figured out how to erect a shield around my body that would allow me to travel in the atmosphere without friction.

This little encounter had ruined my quiet time so I headed out west toward the Marine base. The sun would be up soon and the recruits already were. I changed into my PT outfit and joined them as they were mustering outside for morning exercises. This was a bit mundane and pointless for me considering the changes to my body. But I had to do it for appearances.

Basic training was over and we were now into our individual training. That gave me an excuse for not being with the others. I was taken to an empty hanger where my specialized training was taking place. The windows were painted black and the doors were locked, no one was allowed to leave or enter while I was in class here. My classes consisted of such things as tactics, I started out learning to play chess; an excellent game of tactics and strategy. The world chess champion was brought in to teach me. I took everything I needed as soon as #$%*@ (name removed for security reasons) was brought into the hanger. I now knew how to play world class chess but I still didn't understand the strategy. You might be wondering why I didn't just take the knowledge I needed and be done with it; well, knowing and understanding are two different things. I can take knowledge from a person's mind but that doesn't mean I will understand it. I am still a seventeen year old boy.

The drill instructor in charge of my training was present. I explained about my exciting evening; he said he would talk to the base commander about it and see what could be done about the harassments. He further expressed his displeasure about my little 'statement' I felt I had to make. Oh well, nothing could be done about it now. I'm sure that the recording has already made a miraculous disappearance.

While I enjoyed many of the lessons I learned here my all time favorite was the Ninjitsu Instructor. With my mental abilities I can kill with a thought so I felt most of the fighting was a waste of time. Among the techniques was one called Dim Mak (touch of death), I learned a lot about the human body during those classes. But still why touch some one physically when I can just think about what I want and make it happen? My favorite lesson was the Ninjitsu Ryu class (meditation). I learned a lot about myself in that class. I would explore the lines of energy coursing through my body; I would watch the changes the nanobots were making to my body.

So much has happened in the last few months of my life that I no longer believe I am the same person. Who I was before I found the A.I. no longer exists; I am now and ever shall be the Avatar. I have begun to think about what role I will play in human history. Should I make my presence known to the general population or stay a secret?

As I was contemplating this last question my drill instructor entered the hanger from a side office and approached the training mat. Stopping at the edge he bowed before stepping further and approaching me. He bowed to me and handed me a piece of paper. I returned his bow; he turned and left; again bowing toward the mat before leaving the hanger again.

I unfolded the paper and read it.

Top Secret

Avatar's Eyes Only

There is an urgent matter that requires your attention. Please contact me immediately regarding a possible threat to Earth.

Sincerely,

Admiral Thomkins

After reading the message I dissolved the molecular bonds of the paper and the message ceased to exist.

"Sensei, forgive me but an urgent matter has come up and I must attend to it."

"I have been informed of your uniqueness and consider it an honor to teach you. Go and tend to your matter. We will see each other again."

With that I bowed to him, stepped to the edge of the mat turned and bowed again then left the room.

I stepped into one of the offices for some privacy.

"Admiral, you asked me to contact you. Is there a problem you need me to look into?"

"Yes. Our deep space radar has detected an unidentified vessel entering our solar system on a course for Mars. At their current rate of speed they will be in Mars orbit in approximately seven days."

"What can you tell me about this ship?" I asked

"Nothing at the moment. Our equipment doesn't have the ability with current technology to get any details at this distance. We want you to go out there and meet them at Mars' orbit. We will be able to watch with the Hubble telescope." The Admiral said

"Since your boys have not developed a protective suit for me to wear in space I must have access to Area 51 in Nevada and find the ship that crashed in Roswell, New Mexico. The A.I. assures me it can integrate the ship's material into my body so that I would essentially be a human shaped space ship." I said

"Aren't you concerned about losing your humanity?" The Admiral Asked.

"It is not the body that defines humanity but the essence of the person, the person within that defines their human-ness. Consider people in wheelchairs; are they any less human because they can't walk or feed themselves? No. I don't believe that I will be any less human just because I am no longer made of flesh and blood." I responded.

"I will require some form of long range communication," I added.

"Will speak to R & D and see what we can come up with. You have a week to prepare for departure. Good day Avatar."

"Good day Admiral." And with that said I returned to the training hanger.

"Sensei, Gentlemen. I have an urgent matter that requires my special abilities to attend to. I have a week to prepare for my departure. Drill Instructor, Company and Base Commanders if you will meet me in the briefing room I will fill you in on what I know. So you can handle my absence from the men." I announced.

After the briefing I headed back to my locker and packed my duffle bag. Several of the guys asked why I was leaving; I just told them I had to attend a funeral. I never said whose.

Later that afternoon I arrived at the bus station and put my duffle into a locker. I handed the key to my Drill instructor and told him I would contact him if I survived and was returning. I would meet him here to retrieve my gear and return to the base. He informed me that due to my extended absence the paperwork would show that I would be recycled and finish training at a later date. I told him that was acceptable but I wouldn't guarantee that I would be returning as I had no idea of what to expect. This would be, after all, my first excursion into space.

He shook my hand and stated matter of factly that if I died on this mission that he would personally see to it that it would be written up as 'died in the line of duty' and appropriate medals were awarded posthumously; rather than being listed as a 'training accident'. I thanked him and left. I had a lot to plan before approaching Area 51.

The seven hundred-eighteen point six miles from San Diego, California to somewhere in the North East corner of Nevada took me about an hour to complete. I could have completed it in less time, but I did not want to break the sound barrier. I was more concerned with a stealthy approach rather than a speedy one.

It wasn't long before I arrived at my destination. I intentionally waited for the cover of darkness so that my arrival would not be detected as easily. I have not been able to make myself invisible but I can mask my infrared signature. I knew a little about their sensor array and detection perimeter; so I sent out my senses and detected a small dead zone between the sensor zones. It was approximately two feet from top to bottom. Keeping my senses focused on the sensor networks I slowed to about two hundred miles per hour and slipped in between their sensors.

This place was protected better than Fort Knox. The closer I got to the perimeter the tighter the gap between the sensor networks became. The base alarm sounded just as I crossed the perimeter fence. I increased my speed and came to a complete stop hovering above the largest building in the middle of the complex. I could hear cacophony below me; being as quiet as possible I searched the roof for a means of ingress.

After several moments of searching I finally located an air vent large enough for me to enter, unfortunately the vent was welded on. Violently removing the event would create too much noise; so light shows to dissolve the molecular bonds in the metal. That was the first option that came to mind that would be as quiet as I needed to be.